Civil War 3 Flashcards

Question

Gettysburg

Answer 1

10th June Lee moved northwards, Lincoln saw the destruction of Lee’s army as a priority, the army of the Potomac tried to follow Lee but it was too hard. On the 28th June 1863 Lincoln replaced General Hooker with Meade from Pennsylvania. Lee was still lost as Stuart had not told him about the union forces. 30th June the confederate soldiers settled in Gettysburg and when they were looking for shoes they stumbled across the union forces. The first battle took place on the 1st July 1863 and was a good day for the confederacy. The union troops pushed to Cemetery hill and Culp’s hill. But again there was no confederate push. However, Meade and his 85,000 men had taken up the hills south and east of the town. Longstreet wanted to go around the army of the Potomac and find a position between them and Washington; however Lee was weary of this. On the 2nd July fighting didn’t start until mid afternoon. Longstreet attacked the union left. The confederates did well at Peach Orchard and they came close to defeating the union at Little Round Top. They failed at Little Round Top due to a union sweep down the hill, led by Joshua Chamberlin of the 20th Maine. The second day at Gettysburg ended in a stalemate. Lee set his forces on the 3rd day on the centre of the union forces. Pickett led a charge with 13,000 men up cemetery ridge and it was a disaster, the confederacy lost 6,500 men in an hour. Lee was defeated, he lost 28,000 men under his command and the union lost 23,000 and retreated back to Virginia. Lee accepted the blame for the defeat and resigned, however Davis did not accept his resignation. Gettysburg was a major defeat for the confederates and 714/800 died from the 26th North Carolina. It showed that Lee could be defeated; he lost his aura of invincibility. Lee also never again launched an invasion in the north and his tactics permanently changed as he never went on the offensive again. Meade also didn’t follow up the union victory, while Lee held North Virginia.

Answer 2

Lincoln paid respects to the fallen at the Battle of Gettysburg four months later. He thanked the people who scarified their lives and he said this would develop the future of the American government – ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’. This was one of Lincoln’s four major speeches.

Answer 3

Since August 1862 the confederacy had been trying to hold the river town of Vicksburg as this prevented the union controlling the Mississippi. Davis called it the nail head that held the south’s two halves and Lincoln said war cannot be brought to a close without that key in our pocket. Davis appointed Johnson to control the Mississippi. He was useless and failed to have a clear strategy to defend Vicksburg. In April 1863 Grant decided to gamble on Vicksburg. He marched down the west of the Mississippi, relying on Admiral Porter’s ironclad fleet sailing past Vicksburg. He relied on them because Vicksburg’s defences made it hard to seize by land. The first attempt failed as Sherman’s flank was defeated at Chickasaw Bluffs. Grant attacked 16-17 April 1863 he was aware of Johnson’s 25,000 men and Pemberton’s 30,000 men. He attacked them one by one. This showed Grant’s skills as a leader. In 3 weeks his army marched 200 miles and won several key battles. He defeated Johnson and then Pemberton. He then laid siege to Vicksburg, shelling them and cutting their food supplies. On the 4th July 30,000 confederates finally surrendered. They captured huge quantities of weapons including 172 canons and 60,000 rifles.

Answer 4

At the end of 1862 the union army of the Cumberland, commanded by Rosecrans tried to drive out the confederate army of Tennessee led by Bragg. 31st December 1862 Rosecrans and Bragg fought at Murfreesboro near Nashville. Lincoln demanded more action from Rosecrans and he threatened him the sack. Rosecrans pushed Bragg 80 miles to Chattanooga (a rail centre). Bragg withdrew to Chickamauga Creek and was reinforced with 12,000 from Lee. 19 – 20th September 1863 Bragg gave battle in Chickamauga. The union army retreated to Chattanooga and the union suffered 16,500 casualties whilst the rebels lost 18,500. Bragg was incensed that many of his subordinates didn’t follow up victory; also Davis made the decision to force some of his men under Longstreet to attack Knoxville. Grant then supplied the union troops at Chattanooga after Lincoln gave him command of the union forces between the Appalachians and the Mississippi. He then storms the rebel position on Lookout Mountain on 24th November. The next day his men seize Missionary Ridge. Rebel forces retreat to Georgia and Grant is confirmed at the unions greatest general. Bragg returns to Richmond.

Answer 5

Defeats at Gettysburg, Vicksburg and Chattanooga severed confederate morale. The situation in the west for the confederacy was dire and large areas of Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia and Louisiana was under union control.

Answer 6

In March 1864, Lincoln reshuffled his army command structure in preparation for his new campaign. He appointed Grant as general-in-chief at the entire union forces. General Sherman controlled the army of the west and General Meade was in charge of the army of the Potomac. Most veterans in the army of the Potomac were sceptical as they believed Grant had it easy in the west, as he hadn’t faced Lee. Grant proposed a strategy of simultaneous movement all along the line. 115,000 men in the army of the Potomac would attack Lee and Grant told Meade to follow Lee. He also ordered Sherman to attack Atlanta and Georgia. Banks and his 30,000 men in Louisiana would take Mobile and then move northwards. Butler and his 30,000 in Yorktown would attack Richmond up the York-James Rivers. Sigel and his 26,000 were to march up the Shenandoah Valley.

Answer 7

Manpower in the confederacy by 1864 was low and all men between 17 and 50 had to enlist. However Johnston was in charge of the army of Tennessee and despite the confederacy being outnumbered many of their remaining soldiers were veterans. Most veterans in the union were finishing their 3 year service. Lincoln tried to persuade them to enlist again, 136,000 did and 100,000 didn’t.

Answer 8

Banks got bogged down in the red river and never reached Mobile and Butler and Sigel all failed. A 10,000 strong confederate army pushed the union back through the Shenandoah Valley and even reached the suburbs of Washington. Grant had to send reinforcements back to Washington to defend it.

Answer 9

Grant and Lee first meet at the Wilderness on 5th May. On the 6th May the army of the Potomac had Burnside’s men both attack, with Lee counter-attacking. The next day both sides entrenched themselves. The confederates had a tactical victory and inflicted 17,500 casualties. There was none stop fighting for one month. The next battle at Spotsylvania ended with another tactical defeat for the union. The battle resulted in 30,000 casualties (18,000 unions and 12,000 confederates). 3rd June at Cold Harbour, Grant lost 7,000 men in an hour and Lee lost 1,500. However the army of Northern Virginia was running out of men. 12th June the union forces crossed the James River which threatened Richmond and allowed Petersburg to be challenged by the union. Beauregard held of the union troops however and both sides dug trenches, the union suffered 4,500 casualties. Grant had lost 60,000 men but he knew the union would win a war of attrition.

Answer 10

By 1864 it was clear the confederate’s only hope would be if Lincoln lost the 1864 election. In August 1864 the Democrats met at their convention in Chicago. Their platform was written by Clement Vallandigham and it stated peace with the confederacy, condemning Lincoln’s arbitrary measures and a pledge to protect state rights. Their nominee was McClellan. However he would not agree with peace with the confederacy, which was on the democrat platform. This split the democrats into war and peace factions. Moderate peace Democrats included Horatio Seymour and Thomas Seymour.

Answer 11

It was not certain that Lincoln would win the republican convention. It would be the first time a president has been re-elected since Jackson in 1932. To gain more support they went under the name of the Unionist Party. Some republicans wanted to nominate Grant but Grant supported Lincoln. Chase also wanted the nomination but he had no real support. A contest became serious as who would be Lincoln’s vice president in the campaign. Andrew Johnson of Tennessee won the nomination and he was a southerner and a war democrat. The republican platform stated unconditional surrender to the confederacy and the end of slavery using a constitutional amendment (13th amendment).

Answer 12

This was a more anti abolitionist, pro unionist and radical reconstruction party led by Fremont and they believed Lincoln was being too lenient to the south. It seemed the party would split the republican vote, allowing the democrats to win. The party did not mount a challenge and no newspaper aligned themselves to them.

Answer 13

Lincoln won 2,213,645 votes (55%) and 212 Electoral College votes whereas McClellan won 1,802,237 votes (45%) and only 21 Electoral College votes. The republicans also increased their majority in both houses of congress. 78% of the soldier vote went to Lincoln as most states found ways for soldiers to vote and even in states where this measure was blocked, soldiers found a way to vote. During Lincoln’s second inaugural speech in March 1865 Lincoln said ‘with malice toward none, with charity for all’.

Answer 14

In May, Sherman and 100,000 union soldiers left Chattanooga and marched in Georgia. The confederate opposition was led by Joe Johnston with 70,000 men. Johnston had a problem and him and Davis disliked each other. Instead of listening to Davis’ instruction to attack, Johnston retreated further into Georgia and took up fortified positions. By July 1864 the union had reached Atlanta and Johnston was replaced by Hood. In the autumn of 1864, Sherman divided his army. He left General Thomas to defend Tennessee and Sherman moved from Atlanta with 62,000 men in November to Savannah. Sherman destroyed the confederate supply lines along the way with his scorched earth policy; they created a 60 mile stretch of destruction and they took Savannah by mid-December. They left $100 million damage on Georgia. Instead of trying to stop Sherman, Hood attacked Tennessee, which came to nothing. On the 30th November a launch of suicidal attacks were launched on union troops at Franklin, and confederate losses were three times that of the union (20,000 men).

Answer 15

Across the winter of 1864 and spring of 1865 desertion nearly destroyed the confederate army. On New Year’s Day 1865 more than half of the confederate soldiers were absent without leave. On March 1865 the confederate congress approved black enlistment; however emancipation was not a reward.

Answer 16

In December 1864 Lincoln spoke to congress of his confidence about victory. Union resources were unexhausted, the economy growing and army stronger than ever. The confederate situation was desperate. Davis went to desperate measures to appeal to Britain and France in return for emancipating slaves. Davis sent Stephens to meet Lincoln but the meeting was unproductive. Lincoln was unable to negotiate peace with slavery or disunion still being demanded.

Answer 17

In January 1865 Wilmington, North Carolina was taken after the union battered Fort Fischer with the navy led by Welles and Stanton. Johnston tried stopping Sherman at Bentonville but failed and Sherman reached Richmond in April. By March 1865 the confederate lines reached 35 miles and had 50,000 men left, in comparison to Grants army of 125,000.

Answer 18

In April 1865 Sherman won the battle at Five Forks. The next day Grant orders attack and breaks confederate lines. Lee abandons Petersburg and Richmond and Davis fled to the south. On the 3rd April Lee was surrounded by union forces and he fought at Sayler’s Creek on 6th April 1865, Lee lost 8,000 men. On the 9th April 1865 Lee and Grant met at Appomattox Court House with Lee surrendering to the union. Grant gave confederate soldiers rations and sent them home with their weapons.

Answer 19

Thaddeus Stephens – confederate states have left the union and should be treated as conquered provinces Charles Sumner – confederate states have forfeited their state-hood and are now territories again. Lincoln’s views He was convinced as president this was his concern. As president Lincoln was commander-in-chief and had the power of pardon. The reality was once the war ended, Lincolns powers gained during the war would be reduced. Lincoln wanted to restore the union as quickly as possible, installing a military governor in areas partially reconquered until the people voted for a new state government.

Answer 20

Lincoln introduced this plan as a way for the south to being reconstruction phases. He offered pardon to white southerners who took an oath to support the constitution and the union. When 10% of the 1860 electorate took the oath, a new state government would be established. To gain Lincoln’s recognition of this government, they had to accept the abolition of slavery. This policy was meant to shorten the war by offering a moderate peace plan. It was also intended to further Lincoln’s emancipation policy by insisting governments abolish slavery. The policy was lenient to the south as Lincoln wanted to popularise his emancipation proclamation, he fearing forcing the proclamation would lead to him losing the 1864 election. The plan successfully began the reconstruction process of ratifying the 13th amendment.

Answer 21

Southern – by the summer of 1864, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee used Lincoln’s 10% plan and created new governments. Lincoln knew the plan was not permanent but he aimed to win southern support for the union making it harder for the confederacy. Congress – congress refused to admit the representatives from Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee, instead they wanted a more radical approach. Radical Republicans – Republicans including Thaddeus Stephens, Charles Sumner and Benjamin Wade were radical republicans. They opposed the actions of Lincoln by stating he was too lenient on the south. Stephens had the idea of confiscating land from white southerners and giving it to black families. Radical republicans feared once the union was restored, the Democrats would win the election (they had won 45% of the northern vote in the 1864 election). A democrat government would overturn republican policies, such as higher tariffs. Radical republicans considered giving blacks the vote and disenfranchising ex confederates to stop this from occurring.

Answer 22

In April 1864 a Louisiana convention prohibited black people (47% of the population) from voting. Nathanial Banks (governor) was against the black vote in principle but did not want to risk losing white support in Louisiana. Lincoln accepted the convention and began treating Louisiana as part of the union. However radicals were enraged and congress rejected the constitution.

Answer 23

Radicals Benjamin Wade and Henry Davis launched a bill, demanding not 10% but 50% of the people in the confederacy must swear an iron clad oath; this was an oath swearing they never wanted secession. Anyone who held political office or bore arms against the union was excluded from this. The aim of the bill was to suspend reconstruction until after the war, when congress would have more power than Lincoln. The bill passed in both house of congress but Lincoln vetoed the bill.

Answer 24

Neither Lincoln nor congress had created a coherent policy on how to help ex-slaves. Lincoln supported the idea of re-colonising them but this failed as many blacks refused. Another solution was to give confiscated land to ex-slaves but this failed due to northern disapproval. Sherman and his campaign had a designated area from Charleston to Florida to ex-slaves with 40,000 ex-slave families receiving land (this was only a war measure). By 1865 no official bill had been met.

Answer 25

Congress in March 1865 agreed to set up the Bureau of Refugees, Freedman and Abandoned Lands (known as Freedman’s bureau). They divided confiscated and abandoned land into 40 acres between black families and poor white families.

Answer 26

There was a mixed feeling from the north, some were anxious to help the slaves and some believed freed blacks deserved equal rights. Racial tension stayed high in the border states (Kentucky was the last state to ratify the 13th amendment) and there was a limited support for black suffrage, in 1865 only 5 states gave blacks equal voting rights.

Answer 27

James Ashley of Ohio pushed for the 13th amendment; he was supported by Lyman Trumbull of Illinois who was the chair of the Senate Judiciary committee. The amendment passed in the house in April 1864 by 38 to 6 but it failed in the Senate, 93 to 65. However following Lincoln’s re-election, a new campaign took place. Lincoln offered patronage jobs to lame duck democrats to help pass the amendment. The 13th amendment passed in January 1865, with vote of 119-56. The speaker of the house, Schuyler Colfax made the decision to cast a vote.

Answer 28

Despite the success in war and his executive power, Lincoln failed to bring a single reconstructed state back to the union. The government in Louisiana, Tennessee and Arkansas gained little southern support and was unrecognised by the US congress. Lincoln was caught amongst a divided cabinet based on reconstruction matters.

Answer 29

John Wilkes Booth infiltrated Ford’s theatre with the purpose to assassinate Lincoln. He shot Lincoln and after stabbing police officer Rathbone, he jumped onto the stage and shouted ‘revenge for the south’ or ‘the south shall be free’. Lincoln died at 7:22am on April 15th. This was seen as the last blow of the south. Lincoln was realistically the only chance for the south to be readmitted peacefully.

Answer 30

Vice President Johnson became president. He had good support from radicals as in 1864 he said ‘traitors must be punished and impoverished’. However he was the only southern senator to remain in the union and the radicals soon disliked him. Reconstruction under Johnson is also called confederate style reconstruction.

Answer 31

He kept the same cabinet as Lincoln as he claimed his intentions were to continue the policies of Lincoln. He also hoped to restore the southern states to the union before congress met in December 1865. Johnson was committed to states rights and was against the idea of black suffrage. By May 1865 Johnson extended recognition to all southern governments created under Lincoln’s administration. He issued a general amnesty to all southerners willing to swear an oath of allegiance and support emancipation. He also returned confiscated land to pardoned southerners. Johnson excluded confederates who owned taxable property in excess of $20,000 from the pardon. However the wealthy southerners were allowed to petition Johnson for personal pardons. In one year Johnson pardoned 13,500 people. Radical republicans were outraged by this.

Answer 32

Johnson made the process by which southern states would be readmitted easy. He appointed provisional state governors who co-operated with the south. They then held elections for state conventions and then they drew up constitutions which repealed secession and accepted the abolition of slavery.

Answer 33

The south accepted Johnson’s terms and accepted the abolition of slavery and the acts of secession. However in these elections men who voted for secession in 1861 regained power and were elected into congress. Also no southern states enfranchised blacks and they introduced black codes. When congress convened in December, the readmitted southern states presented themselves. Among them was Alexander Stephens, four confederate generals and five colonels. Johnson also chose to side with the democrats and not moderate republicans. When congress tried to extend the powers of the freedman’s Bureau, Johnson vetoed it, this was because he believed in states’ rights and he could not publically support this, as he would be a traitor to the south.

Answer 34

Moderate and radical republicans joined forces to pass a civil rights act. This meant all people born in the US were citizens and federal government had the right to intervene in state affairs to protect the rights of US citizens. Johnson attempted to veto this but it was overturned.

Answer 35

This was a government agency established to help former slaves; this oversaw 3,000 schools across the south and ran hospitals and healthcare facilities for the freedman.

Answer 36

The new southern legislatures began passing repressive black codes. Mississippi passed the first of these laws designed to restrict the freedom of blacks in November 1865. Black codes varied in each state but some universal policies applied. Blacks could not serve on a jury, vote, rent and lease land and own certain kinds of property. The codes also had labour provisions. Blacks were required to enter annual labour contracts and could be punished, required to forfeit pay and forced to work. Thousands of freedman become sharecroppers, which led them to becoming indentured servants and resulted in generations of people working in the same plot of land.

Answer 37

This allowed black people equality under the law. It also banned from office any confederate who had taken an oath of allegiance to the union before the war. The amendment did not get a vote from any confederate state, aside from Tennessee. This eventually passed in July 1868. The amendment passed due to Race Riots 1866 in Memphis (May) and New Orleans (July). This resulted in 80-90 deaths, 91 houses burnt and 5 women raped. The amendment also passed due to the 1866 mid terms. During the mid terms Johnson supported the national union convention, however they were basically the democrats and the republicans discredited Johnson. The republicans won all but 3 states and had a comfortable 2/3 majority in congress. This gave the republicans control of reconstruction and this was known as republican reconstruction or radical reconstruction.

Answer 38

The republicans dominated congress and passed the Military Reconstruction Act 1867. This meant no legal government existed in any ex-confederate state aside from Tennessee, 10 southern states were divided into five military districts and to get into the union the state must ratify the 14th amendment and accept black suffrage.

Answer 39

The command of the army act stated all orders went through Grant and not Johnson, he lost his commander-in-chief powers. The tenure of office act barred the removal of cabinet members without the approval of Senate. Johnson tried to remove Stanton as secretary of war and replace him with Grant but he said no. Johnson also tried to remove all military officers appointed by congress and replace them with those sympathetic to the south. The senate refused to accept Stanton’s suspension, so Johnson fired him. This broke the Tenure of Office Act and Johnson was accused of high crimes and misdemeanour in office. In February 1868 the house voted to impeach Johnson by 126 votes to 46 and the Senate voted 35 against Johnson and 19 for him. This was one short of the vote needed to impeach Johnson.

Answer 40

This occurred on Christmas Day 1868. This offered a full pardon to everyone in the confederacy. This was a proclamation by Johnson and congress could not veto it.

Answer 41

The republicans and Grant won 52% of the vote and 214 Electoral College votes and the Democrats with Seymour won 48% of the vote and 80 Electoral College votes.

Answer 42

During the war Grant was known for his good selection of officers but this skill deserted him when it came to picking government positions. When the republicans nominated Grant for president, it was not due to his political record. Congress liked that Grant was a war hero and had a lack of political experience as it meant they could take over reconstruction, as he would be easy to influence. Congress carried out radical reconstruction with the support but minimal involvement of president and the Supreme Court.

Answer 43

* Carpetbaggers, scalawags and local blacks dominated the reconstruction governments of the south. * The financial extravagance and corruption that dominated governments * By 1870, all former rebel states were back in the union * Force acts passed in 1870 and 1871 to form resistance against white supremacist groups * Supreme court restricted the 14th amendment with the Cruikshank case * The 1872 general amnesty act gave privileges to confederate leaders * Black codes introduced at state level

Answer 44

In 1869 the 15th amendment focused on extending the franchise to include the black vote. The right to vote should not be denied on account of race, colour or previous conditions of servitude. Democrats saw this as a republican plot to promote black equality. This was ratified in 1870. Due to the amendment the American Anti Slavery Society disbanded, they thought they had achieved everything possible for blacks.

Answer 45

Following the Military reconstruction acts, all ex-confederate states were under military rule. They were re-admitted one by one to the union. Some in the south argued they were under Military Despotism but this was exaggerated, by 1871 all states were back in the union and no more than 20,000 troops were in the south.

Answer 46

Many joined the union league which was linked to the Republican Party. In South Carolina and Mississippi, black voters were in the majority. This meant that 2 black senators, 15 black representatives and in 1873 in South Carolina they had 123 members at level and only 23 members were white.

Answer 47

Carpetbaggers were northerners who settled in the south during reconstruction to make a profit. They made up around 2% of the population in each state. Scalawags were southern men who voted republican. Southern democrats openly criticised republicans in the south. Lord Bryce (an Englishmen) claimed the republican governments in the south were responsible for creating a ‘saturnalia of robbery and jobbery’. Corruption was evident in republican governments, especially on railroads. Powers of patronage was used to bribe their own supporters and the Freedman’s Bureau came under attack for being corrupt. However corruption in the south was not as bad as northern cities like New York.

Answer 48

The South Carolina representative as manipulated by a carpetbagger from Ohio called Governor Robert Scott, who was also an agent from the Freedman’s Bureau, he orchestrated the succession of Patterson of Pennsylvania to take his place. In 1873 Senator Patterson said ‘there are five more years of good stealing in South Carolina’. The speaker for the house was a scalawag called Franklin Moss lost $1,000 on a horse race but the government reimbursed his lost. South Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama were the most corrupt states. The governor of Louisiana, Henry Clay Warmouth who turned his salary of $8,000 to one million in 4 years. State debt was out of control; Florida’s debt was $524,000 in 1868 and was $6 million by 1874.

Answer 49

From 1867 to 1873 the south was prosperous and cotton prices were high. Railways were rebuilt and there was an increase in textiles production and manufacturing. However they were behind the pace of the union and the south still remained an agricultural economy. The early 1870s saw disastrous and saw a fall in cotton prices with debts pilling up; this meant the south remained a one crop economy. Its production improved with 6.3 million bales in 1880 compared to 4.5 million in 1860. However the south became the poorest section of the US, in 1860 they produced 30% of the wealth but it was 12% by 1880.

Answer 50

Republican policies were not successful. The panic of 1873 made it worse and for five years after 1872 cotton prices fell by nearly 50%, with farmers living in poverty. The depression dried up resources, ended railway building and caused bankruptcy, including the Tredegar Iron Works of Virginia. In September 1873 the US economy hit a crisis, due to the Black Friday panic of 1869, Chicago fire of 1871, outbreak of equine influenza and demonetization of silver in 1873.

Answer 51

In 1866 paramilitary groups formed in most southern states. The Ku Klux Klan was the most notorious and had links to smaller groups like the Sons of Midnight and the Knights of the White Camellia. The Klan were established in Tennessee and led by war hero Nathaniel Bedford Forrest. This was seen as a backlash against black republicanism.

Answer 52

Some state governors appealed to congress to stop paramilitary groups, including governor Holden of North Carolina who was impeached for this. In 1870-71 congress authorised three force acts. They let Grant use the army to break the Klan. Grant imposed martial law in several areas of the south and in 26 counties of South Carolina. However opposition to the republicans and black rights remained strong in the south. Ex-confederate soldiers often accompanied Democrat politicians on rallied and paraded through black areas.

Answer 53

* Ending corruption in the federal government * Restoring democratic governments in the south * Settle economic problems in the south * Promote white supremacy and limit the freedoms of blacks * To challenge the 14th and 15th amendments

Answer 54

Grant was blamed for lacking commitment, vision and a clear aim for reconstruction. Grant did take action against the KKK and he wanted to accommodate white southerners. In 1872 an Amnesty Act resulting in 150,000 candidates having rights returned and the freedman’s bureau collapsed.

Answer 55

Many historians believed radical reconstruction failed because of the issue of racism, white intimidation and terror especially from democrats, white societies and the KKK, making it hard for the republicans to maintain control in the south. However some argue the republicans failed in the south because of their own self-inflicting problems. There were problems with factionalism within the Republican Party. Some were more interested in the spoils of office than the issue of party policies. Also scalawags in the south only initially supported the republicans out of a marriage of convenience and resented that blacks gained office. Franklin argued the republicans in the south could have been more united if they agreed on economic and social policies. He argued the republicans should have represented themselves as a party for the poor man. Republican state policies were not successful, heavy taxes drove yeoman away, the panic of 1873 made it worse for five years after 1872 cotton prices fell by nearly 50% and the depression dried up any decent resources, for example the Tredegar iron works of Virginia went bankrupt. Many southern republicans felt deserted by the northern wing of the party. By 1870 few northern republicans showed interest in the developments in the south and many opposed measures in congress to help the south. After 1867 radical sections of the party declined and many felt it was not down to the federal government to interfere with state affairs as they were more concerned with finance than reconstruction polices.

Answer 56

Grants government had been blamed for lacking commitment and by 1872 he was willing to build bridges with the southern whites. In May 1872 an Amnesty Act resulted in 150,000 confederates having rights retuned and the freedman’s bureau collapsed. Grant won 55% of the popular vote in the 1872 election and he won 286 electoral votes and his opponent Horace Greeley from the liberal Republican Party only won 66 electoral votes. Grant’s second terms was dominated by two issues, the panic of 1873 and political scandals. Some of Grant’s closest advisors and secretaries were involved in scandals which damaged the standing of the president.

Answer 57

Grant was not personally corrupt but his time in office was filled with scandals and Grantism became a word for corruption. In 1870 Senator Grimes of Iowa called the Republican Party the most corrupt and debauched political party that ever existed.

Answer 58

Jay Gould and Jim Fisk who were friends of the president devised a scheme. They spear a rumour saying the government would not sell its own gold and then they bought all the gold they could, prices of gold increased and they made a big profit. Grant ordered the release of $4 million in gold and this move drove down the price of gold avoiding depression. There was an economic turmoil for a few months and the scandal reflected bad on the administration.

Answer 59

the credit mobilier company was founded by stakeholders of the union pacific railroad company. Their plan was to take profit of the railroad company and give themselves money. When the New York sun broke the story on the eve of the 1872 election, the speaker of the House James Blaine set up a congressional committee to investigate it. In 1873 they revealed that shares had been given to politicians including vice president Schuyler Colfax to influence railroad legislation. The 1873 salary grab – congress voted for salary increases across the federal government. The act went through congress the day before Grant was inaugurated for his second term. This included a 50% pay raise for congressmen backdated two years. This caused public protest and congress changed its mind but the scandal caused damage to the reputation of the government.

Answer 60

secretary of the treasury, William Richardson was forced to resign after allowing his friend John Stanborn to claim a commission for collecting unpaid taxes. Stanborn was allowed to keep $212,000 out of the $420,000. After an investigation Grant signed a law that made this illegal, but this again damaged the reputation of Grant’s government.

Answer 61

Grant’s private secretary General Babcock was part of a conspiracy in St. Louis. Whiskey was supposed to be taxed at 70 cents per gallon. However distillers would pay officials 35 cents per gallon. Before they were caught, a group of politicians were able to siphon off millions of dollars in federal taxes.

Answer 62

secretary of war, William Belknap was forced to resign in order to escape impeachment. Belknap accepted bribes worth $25,000 for granting contracts to sell supplies to Indian Tribes. Belknap was a close personal friend of Grant; he claimed his wives had forced him into doing this.

Answer 63

during the 1872 governor election in Louisiana a group of white democrats attacked white and black republicans at the Grant parish courthouse in Colfax, Louisiana armed with rifles and cannon. Most of the freedman was killed after they surrendered; nearly 50 were killed after being held as prisoners for hours. The attackers were put on trial but released without charge.

Answer 64

The events of the Colfax massacre, the Supreme Court ruled on March 27th 1876 that the actions of the white militia that attacked blacks in the south were under the jurisdiction of the state government not the federal government. This ruling allowed groups such as the KKK to flourish and continue to use force to suppress black voting. As white democrats dominated the southern legislatures they turned a blind eye to the violence.

Answer 65

The democrats made gains. Previously the republicans had a 110 majority in the house but this turned into a democrat majority of 60. The democrats also came close to winning the senate. This made Grant a lame duck president.

Answer 66

This was designed to prevent discrimination in hotels, theatres and railroads. This had no impact in the south and small Supreme Court rulings made it more difficult. Civil right was a state issue.

Answer 67

Given that race was the dominant issue, election campaigns in the south in the early 1870s were conducted unfairly. White groups such as rifle clubs and red shirts wanted to overthrow republican governments and prevent blacks from voting. Despite threats from these groups, republicans ensured blacks could vote. Louisiana was an area in the Deep South where fraud and violence was common. Two governments were seen in Louisiana, the official republican one represented and elected blacks and was protected by the federal army and the unofficial democrat one who controlled the countryside. They had a 14,000 strong militia the white league protecting them and they assassinated republican officials. In April 1873 59 blacks and 2 whites were killed. Grant tried to help by sending 10,000 troops but they did not do much. The republican government in Mississippi was facing similar problems. Blacks were gunned down frequently. Mississippi democrats said any white man not a democrat would be targeted. Carpetbaggers and scalawags had to leave the state or the Republican Party. Black senator Charles Caldwell was shot by whites in a tavern and then 30 times more outside.

Answer 68

This election was seen as the symbolic end of reconstruction. Republicans nominated Hayes of Ohio, their platform was not to hand power to the south and they urged ex-soldiers to vote for them. The democrats chose Samuel Tilden from New York and their platform was to end corruption and to end government abuse of power. Tilden won 4,284,000 votes and 184 Electoral College votes and Hayes won 4,037,000 votes and 165 electoral votes. The votes in Oregon, Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana were contested. If all 20 electoral votes went to Hayes he would be president but if one state went to Tilden he would win.

Answer 69

Both Tilden and Hayes were willing to reach a compromise. A 15 man commission was created to decide on the vote (5 from the House, 5 from Senate and 5 from the Supreme Court); the commission had 8 republicans and 7 democrats. The 1877 compromise meant the democrats accepted Hayes as president but he must appoint a southerner to his cabinet, remove all federal troops from the south and recognise southern democrat governments. The republicans and Hayes accepted the compromise. After his inauguration in March 1877 he withdrew troops from Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana. All ex confederate states fell back under white democrat control. Hayes presidency is seen as the end of reconstruction; even some northerners were pleased that the south was under white leadership and control